by Jason on February 8, 2010
in review
In centuries past, it took Western tea traders decades to figure out that the same plant could produce black, green, and wulong tea. The difference came in the harvest and processing. Fortunately, the modern reader can pick up Roy Fong’s The Great Teas of China and learn how some of the most treasured teas on earth come to be.
Fong’s book tells the stories of teas’ journeys. You almost get the impression that the book is written from the tea leaf’s perspective. Few of the popular books on tea go into such detail on when teas are harvested, and how they are processed.
Along the way, Fong relates how he came to be a part of the tea story. He includes anecdotes of meeting farmers, smelling rooms full of fresh tea being processed, and his first experiences of tasting teas.
The book is interesting from a production perspective, especially considering Roy has begun work on creating his own California tea farm. From the tea drinker’s and tea shopper’s perspective, you are somewhat at a loss as to what to do with the book. Does knowing the production stages a tie guan yin tea goes through help one buy a better tea? Can a tea audience taste a tea, knowing which stage of harvest or production developed the nuances they enjoy in their cup?
Aside from the enjoyment of learning it provides, The Great Teas of China validates Roy Fong’s stance as a patriarch of the US loose leaf tea renaissance and the role of the Imperial Tea Court in that movement.
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Walker Tea Review- a tea blog with tea reviews and tea tastings. Operated by Jason Walker.
Book provided by Roy Fong, Imperial Tea Court
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by Jason on January 18, 2010
in review
Suppose you had a time machine and could travel back to some of the most significant periods of the development of modern man. More than any other drink that has marched through history with us, you’d find a cup of tea there to witness those defining achievements.
In The True History of Tea, Messrs. Mair and Hoh guide us through the religious, social, economic, and political marks that tea left on human history. Among the shining moments that tea played a role include:
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- The Dalai Llama got his title as a result of the exchange of tea and horses established by the Mongols and the Tibetans
- Boiling water for tea (and beer) was likely a leading contributor to public health and sanitation, allowing cities to flourish
- The “tea break” helped recharge the workforce of the Industrial Revolution, enabling workers to maintain their output during +12 hr workdays.
- And of course, who can ignore the role tea played in shaping national identity in China, Japan, India, the UK, and the US.
If you enjoy tracing tea’s fingerprint on human society, this is the book for you. You’ll be captivated to learn how tea spread from Buddhist monasteries to affect the rise and fall of Chinese dynasties. And you’ll grieve over how the drive for tea contributed to the Opium Wars.
While Mair and Hoh relate fascinating trivia and vignettes on tea’s history, you will not find the most captivating narrative. There were times when the flow of history got bogged down with details. Even though growth in demand for tea was significant, minutiae on how Tibetan recipes for yak-butter tea and the number of tea cakes traded for a horse did not need to be covered with such thoroughness as to lose the story’s flow.
Overall, The True History of Tea offers a worthwhile read. At the same time, I recall Monty Python & The Holy Grail when the knights consulted the Book of Armaments. Skip a bit, brother.
This book was purchased, and was not given to WTR by the author(s) or publisher.
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by Jason on September 25, 2009
in review
Every so often, someone will approach me and ask about how I learned about tea or got my tea experience. For many people, spending years in a tea producing country and learning from “old hands” in the tea industry may not be an option. Fortunately, civlization developed writing, a method for gleaning valuable lessons without the firsthand experience. If you are an aspiring tea snob, these books can help quench your thirst for knowledge. After all, tea appreciation starts goes hand-in-hand with tea education.
J. N. Pratt’s New Tea Lover’s Treasury gives a mesmerizing account of the history of tea. This is not a boring school text. It takes the tone of a Southern gentleman turned raconteur, and you feel yourself listening to wisdom cloaked in colorful story. The Treasury is shines at two points. First, it grips you with the vast power that tea had in shaping our world. Some of the largest, richest, and most lasting monopolies were built on the business of tea. The second, briefer portion of the book provides a description of the more elegant and sought-after teas. This is introduction with mention of the finer points.
M. Harney’s The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea takes you on a tea tasting. Just as if you were at a tasting event, you pass through pages that describe must-try white teas to greens to oolongs to blacks. Yellow teas and pu’ers get mentioned as well. The Guide contributes to the discussion by relating notes on how the teas should look and taste, and the processing these teas undergo.
The New Tea Companion showcases the extensive knowledge of Pettigrew and Richardson. While it begins by describing some of the history of tea, I found Pratt’s work more engaging. The Companion does a more extensive job of introducing teas by country. What you see are photos of the dry leaf, wet leaf, and liquor of top teas from tea countries like India, China, and Sri Lanka. In addition, you will broaden your knowledge by being introduced to the catalogue of teas from promising areas like Thailand, Vietnam, and Bolivia.
I would not advise taking detailed facts from these books to heart, or necessarily citing them without double checking your facts. Some information becomes outdated. You need to fact-check whether India or China currently produces the most tea. Some information is unclear. Does sparrow tongue longjing consist of a bud and two leaves, or one? Despite discrepancies, you will appreciate how the books compliment each other. For example, Harney’s Guide contains no pictures of the described teas, but the Companion’s pictures lack description. The varying perspectives produce a conversation that will both entertain and enlighten.
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